Irwin Winkler
Irwin Winkler
Irwin Winkleris an American film producer and director. He is the producer or director of 50 motion pictures, dating back to 1967's Double Trouble, starring Elvis Presley. The fourth film he produced, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, starring Jane Fonda, was nominated for nine Academy Awards. He won an Oscar for Best Picture for 1976's Rocky. As a producer, he has been nominated for Best Picture for three other films: Raging Bull, The Right Stuff, and Goodfellas...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionProducer
Date of Birth25 May 1931
CountryUnited States of America
Most of the producers don't know what they do. The misconception of the producers' function is really not a misconception. Most producers don't do a very good job.
If I'm going to produce something, it's going to be with somebody I think is special. Once I go beyond a handful of directors, like Scorsese, there are very few I want to work with.
I remember when 'The Right Stuff' opened in Hollywood. I got dressed that morning and drove my car down to the theatre that it was playing on, thinking that there would be mobs of people outside. When I looked, there was nobody there.
When James Bond gets old, you get rid of him and bring a new James Bond in.
Usually when you have a sequel, the character always stays the same and that's true basically of 'Rocky III,' 'IV' and 'V.' He didn't really change.
The thing that's strange about Frank Vincent is that actors of his quality are usually big stars.
If you look at successful studios, they're the ones with stabilized management.
I just think there's a general interest in the world of computers.
More money has been lost trying to imitate 'Rocky' than 'Rocky' has made.
Many of the best films made about war have come out after the wars have ended. People need a period of time to reflect on them.
We all know we have a prescribed amount of time on Earth. We just don't know how much.
When studios start telling me why a particular film project won't work, I remember 'Rocky.' I remember that the biggest success Bob Chartoff and I have had was a film nobody wanted to make.
No one wants to hear from the producer. He's the guy by the pool with a cigar in his mouth and a couple of lovelies on his arm. But when you're a director, they want to hear what you have to say about everything - the war, the world.
As a producer, the most important call you can get is on Saturday morning, when the Friday-night grosses come in. As a director, you want your film to be successful. But your outlook is a bit different. You become very conscious of the reviews.